The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-11-26
Special Gnntrih,,tnrs
WAR AND PEACE
BY REV. EDGAR LEAvITT.
Oshkosh, Wis.,

Oshkosh, Wis.,
Renlv 10 an Address of the Representatives Of
ne Religious Society Of Friends, for Penn
kvlgania and Delaware, to their Fellow
tizeHs an the Subject Of War.
We have just received a tract with
tie atjo8e ind dicated title which we are
! moved in charity and a good conscience
to make some reply to. The address
starts out with a reference to the hor-
rors of war !. ssthe crnelties inseparably
connected with it; the waste of prop.
erty and distress caused by it !; the enor-
NOUS cost and the spread of vice and
immortality which it occasions and the
awful destruction Of human lfe," all
Of which we acknowledge and deplore.
Among the reasons assigned for this
strange anomaly among enlightened ma
tions aret thesupposed necessity for
war in the settlement of national I'm
ternational?) differences, (bl the pride
which is felt in the military renown of
a nation, fcl the strong hold which
those who take part in it have gained
upon the esteem and admiration of
their fellow men as models of patriots
ism and courage and fdl the false lns-
ter which has ever been associated with
military q airs, as displayed in the ap-
.ss.is
trappings of the soldier, and the stir
ring music to which he moves, which
captivating the imagination, disguise
the deadly purpose which lies behind it
ALL" We admit that these reasons are
truthfully assigned but we are led to
consider whether these reasons are
good and sufficient ones. And before
proceeding to examine them in detail,
we must mention that the great main
reason has not been mentioned by our
Friends Committee at all. And this
great main reason is, that the So
called enlightened nations are not en-
lightened fully yet by the principles of
Christ's religion. If they had been, it
would have been unnecessary for the
Friends to issue their address. So, be-
ing unenlightened, except as yet to a
limited extent, that war should prevail,
is not so much of an anomaly after all,
But the first reason assigned: its sup
posed necessity in settling international
differences. Is this sound reason ?
Probably in the vast majority of cases
it is not. Most cases might be and
ought to be settled by arbitration, and
if the nations were enlightened would
be. 1t would, for the most part, be more
advantageous to each party than to en-
gage in war. Think of the absuTdity,
for instance, of our going to war with
England over few Goldfish Was it
not better that the Alabama case be
settled by arbitration than that two
great nations like Great Britain and
America, should go to war over it! Was
it not both more profitable and more
honorable But in this case both par
ties were "Willing to do right" willing
to submit the matter to arbitration,
and to carry out the terms of the SEN
tence. But suppose both parties had
not been willing to do right, or one
party had been and The other not, how
then could it have been settled by arbi-
tratiOn? 1t takes two to make trade.
1t probably would not have paid, we
know it would not have paid the United
States to go to war, and she probably
would not have gone to war over the
Alabama, but it would have continued
a source of irritation between the two
nations, and Great Britain would not
have felt so safe either on her Canadian
frontier or on the high seas, in case of
complications arising with foreign ma
tions, or between different members of
the empire. Would Great Britain have
been as willing to arbitrate, had not the
state of affairs been as they were, is
question that perhaps it would not be
charitable to press but we shall have
more confidence in the enlightenment
of Great Britain when we see her as
willing to do justly by weak and "unen-
ughtened" nations like China, as she is
to do justice to zone of her size"
But suppose Great Britain had not
happily been willing to arbitrate in the
Alabama matter, not only, but contin-
ually added to that injury others, to
our intense national shame, humilia-
tion, degradation and disadvantage;
had captured our ships on the high seas,